A charge costs the kWh going into the battery times the price per kWh, plus any fee for the session. The price per kWh depends mostly on where you charge: at home on your own tariff, or at a public charger.
Two example charges
The table works out two charges. A 20 kWh top-up, which is what the EV charging tool ranks chargers on. And a 60 kWh battery taken from 20% to 80%, which puts in 36 kWh (a common stop at a rapid charger, because most cars charge more slowly above 80%).
| Where | Per kWh | 20 kWh | 36 kWh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home, price cap rate | 26.32p | £5.26 | £9.48 |
| Public, under 50 kW | 48p | £10.00 | £17.63 |
| Public, rapid (50 kW or more) | 59p | £11.80 | £21.24 |
These are examples, worked out from the prices below. Public figures are the middle price across the chargers we hold (half cost more, half less), with any fee per session added to the 20 kWh and 36 kWh costs.
Charging at home
On a standard variable tariff, the Ofgem price cap limits what you pay for electricity. From 1 October to 31 December 2026 the cap's unit rate is 26.32p per kWh (the GB average for Direct Debit, including any VAT). Your own rate depends on your region and your tariff.
Source: Ofgem energy price cap Cap period from
Several suppliers sell tariffs for electric car owners with a cheaper rate for a few hours overnight. If you're on one and charge in those hours, use that rate in the sums instead. Some energy is lost as heat while charging, so your meter records a little more than the battery takes in.
Charging in public
Across 3,838 slower connectors (under 50 kW, the kind found in car parks and on streets), the middle price is 48p per kWh. For rapid chargers (50 kW or more), the middle price across 3,672 connectors is 59p per kWh. 1,240 of these connectors also charge a fee per session, which is included in the example costs above.
Source: ChargePlace Scotland open data, Evolt open data, PoGo Charge open data, MFG EV Power open data, Urban Fox open data Checked
These are pay-as-you-go prices with VAT, from the 5 networks whose open data we read. The biggest rapid networks ask for a sign-up before sharing their data, so they aren't included yet. Prices that also charge by the minute are left out, because the cost depends on how long you stay.
Find a cheaper charge
The EV charging tool lists the cheapest public chargers near a postcode, with the cost of a 20 kWh charge at each. To compare a whole year of running an electric car with petrol or diesel (including car tax), try the car running costs tool.
Sources
- Ofgem: energy price cap unit rates and standing charges
- GOV.UK: Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 guidance
Wording checked . Rules change, so check the linked sources before you act.